Kentucky OL transfer Deondre Buford commits to Cincinnati

Kentucky offensive line transfer Deondre Buford is joining a familiar name just up the road from Lexington.

Buford, a former four-star recruit out of Detroit, has committed to Scott Satterfield and the Cincinnati Bearcats. The former Martin Luther King (Mich.) standout heads up I-75 after three seasons with the Wildcats.

Buford’s time at Kentucky has not gone as hoped for either side. After redshirting in 2020, the tackle played in just two games as a redshirt freshman in 2021. And then after emerging as a potential answer at left tackle going into the 2022 season, he lost the job to David Wohlabaugh — who also entered the portal this offseason — before guard Kenneth Horsey was flexed out to tackle for the remainder of the season.

Buford would go on to play 194 snaps for Kentucky, drawing starting assignments against South Carolina (right tackle) and Georgia (left tackle). He received a 57.0 grade from PFF with poor marks in pass protection (45.0), allowing nine pressures with four sacks in less than 100 pass protection reps.

Now a Bearcat, he will be a redshirt junior in 2023 with three years of eligibility remaining.

Wohlabaugh Jr. and Buford hit the portal on April 30 and May 1, respectively, with the former committing to Syracuse on Monday. The program previously lost Kiyaunta Goodwin (Florida) and John Young (Miami (OH)) to transfer, but added Marques Cox (Northern Illinois), Tanner Bowles (Alabama), Courtland Ford (USC) and Ben Christman (Ohio State) on the line this offseason, solidifying the starting lineup and the majority of rotation pieces.

Kentucky had two surprise additions on Tuesday to officially hit the 85-man scholarship limit, with NC State running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and Livingstone College DB Kevin Larkins Jr. each deciding to join the program.

An updated look at the complete roster going into the summer:

— QB (4): Devin Leary (Super), Deuce Hogan (RJr.), Kaiya Sheron (RSo.), Destin Wade (RFr.)

— RB (8): Justice Dingle (Super), Ramon Jefferson (Super) Ray Davis (RSr.), JuTahn McClain (Sr.), Dee Beckwith (RJr.) La’Vell Wright (RSo.), Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (RSo.), Jamarion Wilcox (Fr.)

— WR (9): Tayvion Robinson (Super), Dekel Crowdus (RSo.), Barion Brown (So.), Dane Key (So.), Jordan Anthony (RFr.), Brandon White (RFr.), Ardell Banks (Fr.), Anthony Brown (Fr.), Shamar Porter (Fr.)

— TE (7): Brenden Bates (Super), Izayah Cummings (Sr.), Jordan Dingle (RSo.), Josh Kattus (So.), Khamari Anderson (Fr.), Jakob Dixon (Fr.), Tanner Lemaster (Fr.)

— iOL (9): Kenneth Horsey (Super), Tanner Bowles (RSr.), Eli Cox (RSr.), Jager Burton (RSo.), Ben Christman (RSo.), Paul Rodriguez (RSo.) Grant Bingham (RFr.), Koby Keenum (Fr.), Austin Ramsey (Fr.)

— T (6): Marques Cox (Super), Jeremy Flax (RSr.), Courtland Ford (RJr.), Josh Jones (RJr.), Nikolas Hall (RFr.), Malachi Wood (Fr.)

— Offense: 43

— DL (12): Josaih Hayes (Sr.), Sam Anaele (RJr.), Darrion Henry-Young (RJr.), Octavious Oxendine (RJr.), Tre’vonn Rybka (RJr.), Jamarius Dinkins (RSo.), Kahlil Saunders (RSo.), Keeshawn Silver (RSo.), Deone Walker (So.), Tavion Gadson (Fr.), Kendrick Gilbert (Fr.), Tommy Ziesmer (Fr.)

— EDGE (5): J.J. Weaver (RSr.), Keaten Wade (So.), Tyreese Fearbry (RFr.), Noah Matthews (RFr.), Grant Godfrey (Fr.)

— LB (6): Luke Fulton (RSr.), Daveren Rayner (Sr.), D’Eryk Jackson (RJr.), Martez Thrower (Jr.), Trevin Wallace (Jr.), Jayvant Brown (Fr.)

— CB (8): Andru Phillips (RJr.), Jantzen Dunn (RSo.), Maxwell Hairston (RSo.), Jordan Robinson (RSo.), JQ Hardaway (So.), Elijah Reed (RFr.), Nasir Addison (Fr.), Avery Stuart (Fr.)

— S (7): Jalen Geiger (RSr.), Zion Childress (Sr.), Jordan Lovett (RSo.), Alex Afari (So.), Jaremiah Anglin (Fr.), Ty Bryant (Fr.), Kevin Larkins Jr. (So.)

— Defense: 38

— Specialists (4): Chance Poore (Super), Alex Raynor (RSr.) Wilson Berry (RSo.), Jackson Smith (RFr.)

— Total: 85

It’s all coming together.